Mohali de-addiction centre staff hold protest, flag safety concerns
Employees say they were working in a hostile environment as the police had failed to provide safety to them
Around 15 staff members of the Health Department posted at the Sector 66 drug de-addiction centre staged a sit-in protest outside the office, fearing for their security and safety amidst repeated instances of inmates trying to flee. Staff said they were working in a hostile environment as the police had failed to provide safety to them.
Three employees were injured yesterday after around 40 inmates tried to scuffle with staff and security in a bid to flee. A video of the incident has been leaked on social media. Officials, however, confirmed that no inmate had fled from the centre.
The staff have demanded adequate police presence and additional security personnel at the centre. A senior Health Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “Yesterday, around 3 pm, there were around 85 patients at the centre, including individuals facing NDPS cases. Around 40 patients tried to forcefully escape from the centre. There was no police presence and only minimal security staff on duty at the centre. Two nursing staff had a tough time handling the situation.”
The department officials emphasised on the need for safety measures, noting that some staff were working on minimal wages while handling challenging conditions.
The protesting employees raised slogans against the Punjab Government and the Mohali administration for not ensuring their safety. The ruckus by inmates, followed by a protest demonstration by de-addiction centre staff today, has dented the state government’s ongoing “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign.
Centre manager Nek Ram Dyal said, “There are miniscule security arrangements here. If NDPS Act case-accused inmates are kept here, there should be at least five police personnel for the security of inmates and staff.”
Manpreet Kaur, a staff nurse, said, “The Mohali administration, the police and government officials are pressurising contractual staff and completely disregarding our safety. The staff are alone facing court hearings in previous such police cases of ruckus and inmates’ fleeing from the centre.”
Meanwhile, OPD patients, who had come from far off places to get their medicines, were hassled as the centre’s main gate remained closed for hours since morning.
